I used to be about saving the world; if I still have to do that in my 40s I'm going to kill myself.

Freelance writer and game developer Becky Cunningham (RPGamer, OpenCritic) joins us this week to talk about her early experiences with the Apple ][ and how her love of SF and fantasy literature led to a lifelong relationship with interactive fiction, adventure games, and RPGs, and how she discovered she was genderqueer along the way. She also tells me about her upcoming otome game based on Robin Hood, from the perspective of Made Marian.

Also, we talk cowardly paladin love interests, large kitties, the otome renaissance, fiddling with DOS for hours, game critique formats, spousal warcraft warfare stalemates, why FFVIII is a bad first JRPG, and when it's time to let go.

Follow Becky on Twitter @BeckyCFreelance, and be sure to get in touch with her if you're an artist who'd be interested in working on her game.

This episode of Misspent Youth is dedicated to the memory of Michael A Cunningham, editor in chief of RPGamer, who sadly passed on a few days ago. This week's guest Becky Cunningham, no relation, was a former coworker and a good friend of his. I only interacted with Mac a handful of times online, but he was a passionate and thoughtful individual who will be missed by those who knew him and those who followed his work.

Intro Music "Summer Vacation in Scanline" by NurvussIntermission "Beneath the Mask" by Shoji Meguro (from Persona 5)Outro Music "トワイライトでHEART-BEAT" by パフェ♥カフェｐａｒｆａｉｔ♥ｃａｆｅ